1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates, in general, to the field of handles for small articles, and, more specifically, to an openable and reclosable, rigid integral handle attachment for small portable items to permit quick, facile selective attachment to and release from another item, such as a backpack or belt.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Previously there have been known various supports and carrier assemblies for temporary attachment to articles such as thermos bottles and divers, air tanks to facilitate transport thereof. Such supports commonly take the form of some type of handle or strap which is connected to the article to be transported by means of another strap or other elongated material, such as a coil spring, which surrounds such article. An example of the latter is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 2,922,558, which issued to Harvey. The Harvey patent discloses a detachable handle connected at each of its respective ends to a length of coil spring. The springs are of such length as to permit sufficiently tightly surrounding a thermos bottle so that it may be carried by the handle, yet the "give" inherent in the spring permits slidable detachment of the spring and handle assembly from the thermos bottle or other container with which it may be used.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,556,245, which issued to Gruenwald, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,794,370, which issued to Lockhart et al. each describe handle assemblies which include straps for surrounding and supporting a small cylinder such as a tank or thermos to be carried by a handle detachably connected to the straps. None of these assemblies includes an openable handle which is permanently attached to the article to be carried thereby.
Likewise, U.S. Pat. No. 4,214,688 and U.S. Pat. No. 2,416,621, which issued to Griffin, Jr., and Gretschel, respectively, teach detachable connectors for transportable articles. More specifically, the patent which issued to Griffin, Jr. discloses a flashlight holder which positively supports the flashlight so as to allow the flashlight to be mounted on the user so that the light can be specifically directed while still leaving the user's hands free. The structure of the holder does not permit it to act as an openable handle for carrying purposes and hand-held use, nor is it permanently fixed to the flashlight or provided integrally therewith.
The Gretschel patent teaches a suitcase handle which can be completely detached from the suitcase in order to prevent theft thereof. The handle is not fixed to the suitcase and formed so as to be openable, as in the present situation, but rather is entirely separable from the suitcase by disassembly of a pivot pin carriage assembly at the ends of the handle.
U.S. Pat. No. 536,184, which issued to Gilbert discloses an attachment to an umbrella handle. The attachment consists of a finger hook connected by a spring-hinged end to the handle of the umbrella. The hook can be released such that a free end thereof may serve to balancingly support the umbrella from the edge of a counter or tabletop to temporarily free the user's hands, or for storage. The hinged open hook does not function as the main means of holding the umbrella for active use thereof, as it is sized only as a finger hold and is not positioned nor shaped in such manner as to provide the strength and balance which permit gripping by a complete hand, as is necessary to manage an open umbrella under the usual conditions in which it would be used. Indeed, any such attempt would likely cause the opened umbrella to topple over, out of the user's grasp.
Thus a need has existed for a handle which is permanently attached as an integral part to a variety of usually small, ordinarily hand-held, portable items and which is selectively openable, yet constructed in such manner to permit the usual use of such item by holding the attached handle. The handle of the present invention, while useful in the ordinary manner as a handle per se, is also adapted for opening, for quick, facile attachment to and release from another object, such as a belt, backpack strap, etc., for hands-free carrying or storage when not in active use. It may also be used as an attachment to slightly larger but still portable articles such as ladders and shovels and other garden tools as a gripping member for carrying the article, and yet being openable for connecting to a ring or loop, for example on a garage wall, or a truck.
In the field of mountain climbing it is known to use a particular type of snap-hook, known as a "carbiner" for fast, strong, reliable connection of one rope to another. Several styles of these carbiners exist, but they are generally formed of a strong metal and have a snap-lock gate-like latch mechanism to permit one-handed operation in precarious positions. Examples of such devices are seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,266, which issued to Fister et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,333,212, which issued to Bibollet, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,095,316, which issued to Gabriel.
Previously carbiners were used only as connectors providing loose, swinging attachment of one item to another. Now, for the first time known, it is conceived to use such a carbiner structure and modifications thereof as a handle fixedly attached to variety of portable items to permit normal full-handed gripping use of the item, as well as quick, facile connection of the item to some other object. Moreover, variations of the gate-like opening of the new handle attachment are conceived.